Behind These Walls

by Paul Anthony Williams

  One of the younger prostitutes stands alone, shivering in the mid autumn chill her fishnet stockings barely holding back the bite of the cold breeze as it ripples upwards beneath her tight short miniskirt and her equally tight short blouse with a plunging neckline, showing off her young fresh breasts bulging against the flimsy tight fabric. Her face adorned with a sea of makeup hiding the fact that she is barely eighteen though the makeup hides this well, she looks more twenty with this ‘mask’ that she wears.

  The few cars that do pass by her do not stop in fear of the police catching them at their sordid desires, though there are a few people who walk by and stop to hold a conversation, and like vultures the older mature prostitutes take the best bites of the lot....leaving the slim pickings for the younger ones.

  Like the vultures before them....the young viscously eye their prize and each choses their prime targets, as they feast upon their sweet bounty. Celia stood alone without a prize of her own, so she continued to strut up and down the same stretch of pavement awaiting a fresh client to service.

  Various cars passed as the hours trickled by, and the rising of the cold breeze began to work it’s way across Celia’s small frame. She began to shudder as the icy cold breath of the breeze rippled across her ample breasts, as her nipples started to firm up once more pushing against the tight blouse.

  She hadn’t noticed the stranger walking towards her, adorned in a black hoodie that covered his face and dark trousers....the only feature was the pale face that glimmered under the dusky streetlights as he walked under them. She eventually caught a glimpse of the stranger who had approached her from the shadows, she knew that he was her last hope that evening to get some action and hopefully some hard earned cash.

  “Hello sweetie! Do you fancy sum fun tonight....50 quid for a blow job...100 for sex, anything kinky gonna cost ya.” Celia said towards the silent stranger.

  “Ooh are we a bit shy love!, don’t worry dear I can show you a really good time for a bit of cash....I mean really good fucking time!” Celia explained as the stranger remained silent...

  After a moment’s pause the stranger rustled around in his pockets and produced from within them a thick solid roll of cash...Celia’s eyes almost bulged from the their sockets at the sheer sight of all that money, she thought that there must have been at least two grand’s worth of twenty pound notes all in that bundle.

  “You want this roll?....for a quickie in the alleyway over here?” the stranger hissed as he pointed towards the nearby alley close to them.

  Celia hesitated......she didn’t really like the thought of doing it in the alleyway...but the thought of earning all that cash in one night’s work was too much for her mind to take in. The voices in her head were nibbling and gnawing to the surface ‘take the cash.....take the cash......do the dirty and get the cash’ over and over the voices inside echoed.

  “Alright! But I want the cash up front.....then we can do the deed!” replied Celia.

  The stranger passed her the roll of cash into her hands....she couldn’t realise the last time she held that amount of cash, the feeling felt so sweet and intoxicating to her. She trundled towards the alleyway with the stranger following slightly behind her, as the darkness of the alley swallowed them up....

  In the alley, there was but one dim light that flickered a single beam down upon the dark recesses of the alleyway. Celia began to loosen her clothing as her breasts bounced free from her blouse and her iron bar nipples sprung fiercely erect towards the stranger’s eye-line. She cast aside her damp panties from around her ankles as she looked towards the stranger who was standing just away from the beam of lamplight.

  “Come on then Sweetie!, Fuck me....fuck me hard and fucking good!” demanded Celia as she stood begging....needing....aching for some hard cock to penetrate her trimmed pussy.

  The stranger glimpsed upon the dim lamplight, showing a white painted face like a circus clown all donned in greasepaint...dark rings around the eyes and bloody red around his lips hiding a dark sinister scar..

  “Are you gonna fuck me clown boy?....or are you gonna fuck off back to the circus?” demanded Celia.

  “I’m gonna fuck you.....gonna fuck you real good bitch!” hissed the stranger as he stepped into the light fully showing off his full harrowing features to her, she squirmed back in horror.

  “Do you find me ugly?”

  “Do find me scary?”

  “Are you scared?” hissed the stranger.

  Moments later.....screams of terror echoed through the alley as the stranger approached her and she saw her reflection in the shining blade of the knife that the stranger was holding.....who was standing in front of her and she was trapped like a rat....

  “Please....please....don’t hurt me....I was only joking!, you know a bit of fun.” screamed Celia.

  “Fun?.....you like fun do you?” hissed the stranger.

  “Well....smile bitch...smile for me!” the stranger hissed softly towards Celia.

  Celia tried to smile but it felt like a twang of terror rippled through it.

  “My favourite kind of smile....” hissed the stranger.

  There was a brief moment of screams but then silence fell upon the alleyway..as the stranger stood above the dead slumped body of Celia whose throat had been slit from ear to ear, and the blood flowed like a river from the wound upon the damp ground beside the body.

  The stranger used the bloody knife to cut the blouse from her body....wiping the knife upon it so it was once more clean, then he laid the body flat and with the sharp tip of the blade began to cut into Celia’s chest...

  “Another one for my list..” cackled the stranger as he stood from the dead body, placed the knife into his pocket and walked away into the night, as Celia’s dead eyes stared up towards the dim lamplight...the young candle finally extinguished .....

  Hours later....Michelle awoke from the echoing sounds of her phone around her apartment, she tiredly answered the phone...

  “Michelle...it’s Jonah you need to get up!” replied Jonah, who was her Editor at the newspaper.

  “Hey Jonah....what’s up?” replied Michelle still trying to shake the sleep from her head.

  “It’s your boy!....he’s struck again....” replied Jonah

  “I’m on my way!” came the reply as Michelle hung up the phone....

  Chapter Twelve: A Wolf Amongst The Sheep

  I had found some decent clothes in the farmhouse, and now had hot wired the farmer’s own car and had started to make my way down the country lane towards the main road and then I would make my way to the main city of Norwich.

  The snow had begun to end falling, and the fields were washed with a white blanket, as I drove through the dim twilight of a new day...the sun poking it’s head above the horizon before me.

  A slight breeze entered the car via the window... I lapped up the exquisite taste of fresh air and freedom, away from the dankness and dreary walls of the Asylum...now into the fresh folds of a new day and a changed world since he was incarcerated at the Asylum.

  But I knew I couldn’t rest upon my laurels....I had work to do and I knew the police would be snapping at my heels sooner or later, but before I could complete my own ‘little jobs’, I needed to know who had been assuming my identity to carrying on this killing spree, though I knew about this before that lady Michelle came to me...thanks to the idiot Liam spilling the beans about the murders whilst I was locked away.

  These killings seemed too sloppy...too messy for a professional like myself, and I do hate sloppy mistakes especially from amateurs. No I needed to know the facts and especially where he did his killings. It seemed to me there was no method to his attacks, it seemed so willy nilly....here and there.

  I saw the turning to the main highway that led towards Norwich, and I joined it as the car turned towards the long stretch of highway that led to my home of homes...

  My first point of call was to find a telephone and call up a couple of old friends...

  The
car soon approached a small roadside café, the words ‘Mary’s Crusty Cobs Café’ was blazed across the front of the building in big red lettering. I pulled up in one of the few vacant spaces beside the entrance, I had a few notes of cash to have some coffee and make my first call.

  As I entered the establishment the bell fixed upon the door entrance tingled , I walked towards the service counter and was met by a fair headed beauty no more than a wee child just over eighteen.

  “Morning Sir....how may I help you?” the young beauty replied with such a soft voice it felt like an angel from heaven was present speaking to me. I glance towards her name badge that was fixed upon a small but ample blouse covered breast...the name was ‘Maria’.

  “Nice name that Maria.... I use to know a Maria who could dance the night away until the early morning and not get tired one bit...and she could melt a man’s heart with just a blink of her beautiful eyes...just I bet like you my dear...I would like a cup of coffee, black with a touch of milk no sugar.” I softly replied as I noticed the young girl start to blush.

  “Aw, thank you Sir...I will have that coffee for you in a moment.” Maria replied all in a tizz.

  “Take your time...I’m gonna need to use the facilities and the payphone over there lets say keep it warm and ready in five minutes.” I replied slipping in a sly wink which set the fires within Maria’s cheeks to fire up once more.

  As Maria moved away...I made my way towards the pay phone, slotting a few coins into it and started to dial.....

  Michelle was just walking into the office where Jonah was waiting for her....

  “I presume you have been to the crime scene and taking the necessary photos needed for the front page...where are we with the Dark Poet angle?” growled Jonah who was sipping dark black strong coffee and looked like he hadn’t slept for at least two days.

  “Morning to you too Jonah!” came Michelle’s reply.

  “Less sass more front page class!” came Jonah’s response as he gulped another gallon of caffeine down his throat.

  “Relax Jonah I got the photos and you will have my report within the next few hours.” Michelle softly spoke towards him.

  “Anyway I gotta go as my phone is ringing...might be front page class!” replied a sarcastic Michelle, as Jonah growled and made a swift exit towards his office slamming the door shut.

  Michelle’s phone was indeed ringing upon her desk, her desk spattered with files and reports covering most of the desk. The majority of the files were of Hal’s past killings, but a few were the present day killings made by this copycat killer.

  The phone’s flashing light was just visible beneath the pile of papers that lay upon it, Michelle moved the various sheets away to reveal the dream coloured phone gently ringing away...

  “Hello...this is Michelle, how can I help you?”

  “Hello my dear, it’s been a while since we met....I do hope you are wearing fresh panties on...I wouldn’t want you to wet them again.” came the reply.

  The voice sent a cold shiver down Michelle’s spine...it was Hal.

  “How did you get this number? And where are you calling me from....if I remember all your privileges were taking from you at the Asylum?” asked Michelle.

  “Well if you remember...when you visited me in that room, you had various pieces of a file sprayed across the table...including your business card which had a contact number upon it.” I replied softly down the telephone.

  “And as of my location....let us just say I am far and away from the Asylum, broke free from my chains and like a bird I have flown the coop. Now it seems to me that some fool has taken himself to steal my name and go forth on a killing spree, but these killings are sloppy and not by the hand of a professional like my good self. I believe there was another killing late last night as I escaped the Asylum maybe I will look into that, anyway we shall speak again soon my sweet lady.” I spoke softly before placing the receiver down...

  Michelle froze on the spot...the realisation that Hal the ‘real’ Dark Poet had escaped his confinement and now was free to begin again rippled down her mind and body. She began to dial a number upon the keypad on the telephone and waited as it dialled....

  “Sam? It’s Michelle, we need to talk...it’s urgent!” Michelle spoke shakily down the phone...

  I had placed the phone down and returned to the service counter of the café, where the young sweet beauty Maria had poured me a fresh cup of coffee.

  “That sure smells delicious my dear...how much do I owe you for the coffee?” I asked kindly.

  “Oh nothing...it’s on the house, it’s not often we have anybody as kind and sweet as yourself in here, mainly loud brash truckers or smutty filth throwers who like to throw obscenities towards myself and the other staff, so it’s wonderful to meet somebody with charm and lovely manners.” Maria replied softly allowing a sexy sly smile to fall across her face...

  “Why...my dear, you bring joy and happiness to this old fool’s heart...if I was ten years younger, I would jump my guns and melt that pretty little heart of yours and allow you to elope with me, where we would have a family and a wonderful life some place far away and wonderful, but I feel you may have to just put up with a few charming words from myself....until that white knight comes crashing through the door to whisk you away romantically.” I replied softly back towards Maria.

  A raising of the colour in her cheeks had begun once more, as the wild fires of a blushing session arose as she listened to each and every word that fell from my mouth. She excused herself so she could contained the fires burning within her cheeks, as I returned once more to the payphone and fumbled for the scrap of paper from my pocket. The number was an old one...and I hoped that the owner still had the same number after all these years, I began to tap in the number and waited as it dialled.....

  Sam had just returned back home, his bones ached with old age and as he walked through his front door the phone had a saved message flashing, and a call had just begun ringing...

  Sam picked up the call.. “Hello....this is Sam Mallows, whose that?” Sam spoke softly and riddled with tired bones aching every second...

  “Hello Sam....It’s an old friend.” I replied coldly back towards him...

  Chapter Thirteen: The Stranger

  Away from the main city, down a darken side alleyway lay a door...behind this door lay a long darkened corridor. At the end of the corridor lay another door, beyond this door lay a darkened apartment where very little light illuminated the room, the only main light was the lonely single lamp upon the tabletop. It’s dim beam barely breaking the barriers of darkness within the room.

  There were numerous newspaper cuttings adorned upon the near wall opposite the lamp, the light illuminating various escapades of the Dark Poet from yesteryear and some recent cuttings from the copycat killer.

  A shadow emerged from the dark side of the apartment...a sly smirk across his white grease painted face arose, as he stuck the most recent killing of his upon the wall...the death of Celia the prostitute from the other night.

  “Finish what you started...Finished where you failed!, I will take what is mine and discard what is of yours...I will take the name and continued where you cannot old man.” the stranger replied.

  “Took me years to find you...learn all about you...my revenge will be the sweetest killing of all...and they will blame you for everything....and I will be free to become the Dark Poet in all not just the name.” sniggered the stranger as he stepped back and glanced at his glorified handiwork upon the wall.

  “Everything ends....even you old man...even you!” cackled the stranger as he walked towards the bathroom, and switched on the light. For the first time his face was as clear as the day...like some demented clown with red scarred lips and white pasty face paint and black painted circles around the eyes, to give off a majestic maniac look to his victims.

  He began to wipe away the paint from his face, allowing his real face to reveal itself behind the fake mask that he wore that night.
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  “Plain old boring Karl Smith time!” replied Karl as he began to undress and began to put his work overalls on, a badge was fixed upon the overalls it read ‘Karl Trainee Chef’.

  “Oh well, better make my way to work....until next time!” he softly spoke as he glanced towards the wall one final time and turned away from it and walked out of the apartment...locking the door tight behind him.

  Karl entered his small battered car, turned the ignition on and the little thing sputtered into life. He released the hand brake and started to make his way to his daytime job at the local café ‘ Mary’s Crusty Cobs Café’ as the trainee chef, though he hated the job...the only thing he enjoyed there was Maria, who was always kind and pleasant to him, not like the old hag Mary...who moaned and groaned at every single moment of the day.